Pre Purchase Evaluation
At Artemis Equine Vets, we offer both two-stage and five-stage Pre-Purchase Examinations (PPEs), as well as insurance examinations and breed specific veterinary certification, where required.
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Purchasing a horse, whether your first or an additional partner, is an exciting step. We are here to help ensure the horse is suitable for your intended use, whether that be leisure, competition, or breeding. We routinely carry out PPEs within our service area, but are also happy to travel further afield by arrangement.
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As part of the standard PPE protocol, a blood sample is collected and stored for six months at the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) Blood Sample Storage Scheme, an independent and secure
third-party facility. Should any concerns arise post-purchase, this sample can be analysed for the presence of substances such as anti-inflammatories, sedatives, or corticosteroids that could have masked clinical signs during the examination.
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We follow the latest RCVS and BEVA guidelines for all PPEs and take pride in providing a detailed, objective assessment.
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Optional Add-Ons:
Depending on the horse's history, value, and intended purpose, clients may wish to include additional diagnostics to supplement the standard vetting process. These can be arranged at the time of the PPE or scheduled separately and may include:
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Digital Radiography (X-rays) – for in-depth orthopaedic evaluation
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Ultrasonography – for soft tissue assessment or reproductive evaluation
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Endoscopy – to examine the upper airway (particularly useful for performance horses)
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Gastroscopy – to assess for equine gastric ulcer syndrome
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Comprehensive blood screening – to evaluate general health, detect viral illness, or assess metabolic function
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Thermography – for assessing subtle musculoskeletal asymmetries or inflammation
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Our team is happy to advise you on which additional diagnostics may be appropriate based on your requirements, and all findings are clearly explained and documented in the PPE report.
The 5 stages of a PPE are:
Stage 1
A thorough clinical examination will be undertaken of the horse at rest. This stage is used to detect any signs of injury, disease or abnormalities. The veterinary surgeon will palpate all the limbs, look in the horse’s eyes in a dark stable with an ophthalmoscope, check the passport and microchip and listen to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope.
Stage 2
The horse will now be observed walking and trotting up in hand on a hard, level surface in a straight line. Flexion tests will then be performed. At this stage the horse is normally also lunged on a soft surface and trotted on a small diameter hard circle to assess any lameness issues.
Stage 3
Ridden phase – the horse will be observed under saddle (or on the lunge/free schooling for those that are unbacked), the horse will be asked to perform some strenuous exercise to increase the heart rate to assess the heart and respiratory system’s response to exercise. The veterinary surgeon will also assess the way the horse moves in all paces.
Stage 4
Rest period – A period of rest for the horse after the exercise takes place, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are monitored to see how long it takes to return back to resting levels. The horse’s markings are examined alongside the passport.
Stage 5
After the rest period a second examination of the horse walking and trotting up in hand is completed. This is to check for any stiffness or soreness that has arisen after the strenuous exercise. Flexion tests or trotting on a hard circle can sometimes be repeated at this time.
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PPE’s can be performed at our clinic if the facilities where the horse is stabled are not suitable for the examination. A full discussion of facility requirements will be had at the time of booking.